Source - Gamespy

To most gamers, Marvelous Interactive is not exactly the shining beacon of quality, since it is relatively unknown. However, Grasshopper Interactive garnered a huge reputation due to its involvement in Capcom's Killer 7, a title which became renowned for its incredible art style. Now, both companies have collaborated on an interesting and unique title for the Nintendo DS, entitled Contact.

If you've a fan of the Mother series (also known as Earthbound in the US), then you'll see some very similar traits between that and Contact. The game starts off with a short introduction of your character, who in a nice little touch, automatically assumes the name of your DS system. You are then asked several questions, such as your hobbies, what you like, and your location. After all of this information is entered into the game, you can actually start playing.

Essentially, what the game is all about is a professor from another planet who crashes into the Earth. The professor makes first contact with an earthling named Charlie, and from there, the professor commands this poor guy around to do several quests. When Charlie makes contact with a friend, then that friend becomes part of the professor's world, and you can team up with them to complete quests.



Contact is a traditional RPG in that you encounter enemies on the map, and you have a huge inventory of items to organize and use. Battles are not random, but are played out on the screen without any transitions. By pressing the B button, you can go into battle mode, although your attacks are all automated by the game. In addition to your regular attacks, you also have Tech Attacks that deal more damage or inflict status effects on your enemies. These Tech Attacks use stock points, which you can accumulate by defeating enemies or using items.

Sometimes, you'll find items that cannot be used immediately. Instead, you'll have various suits that are found in the game which allow you to use them. For example, you may find some meat after defeating an enemy, but it's inedible. Later on in the game, you'll find a Chef's suit that allows you to cook the meat. Of course, being a master chef means that you'll have to mix the meat with other items (vegetables, water) to make a sweet meal. Speaking of the suits, there are several in the game, some of which will give you special powers, while others will merely boost your stats. This level of realism is also evident in other aspects of the game. To save, you'll need to sleep, and to regain your strength, you have to go back to your room and take a nice, refreshing bath. Traveling between areas also requires you to get a good night's rest.

Read the full preview and see the screens at the link above. ...